Navy COVID-19 cluster no more

The final three patients in the Sri Lanka Navy’s COVID-19 cluster have been discharged upon making complete recoveries.

However, these sailors will spend another 14 days under self-quarantine, adhering to health precautions.

Thereby, all 906 navy men who were infected with the novel coronavirus had returned to health as of this morning (21).

On the 22nd of April, a naval officer attached to the Welisara Navy Base had tested positive for COVID-19 upon admittance to Welikanda Hospital over a sudden illness.

Subsequently, other Navy personnel who shared the same lodging quarters and office spaces as the infected sailor and all persons who had associated with him were place under quarantine and directed for PCR testing.

As per the results of testing, 30 Navy personnel, including the previously identified sailor, tested positive for the coronavirus initially.

The Welisara Navy Base was accordingly declared an isolated area.

It was confirmed that the previously identified sailor had been infected by another Navy personnel who shared lodging with him, said the Army Commander. The latter had been infected while on duty to search and quarantine suspects connected to drug-related offenses in the Suduwella area.